The First Advent: Leaving Heaven Behind

TURN to PHILIPPIANS 2...

Intro:

I PERSONALLY LOVE CHRISTMAS SEASON & GIFT-GIVING...

(Q) HOW MANY HAVE EVER HAD SOMETHING “JUST RIGHT” PICKED OUT FOR a LOVED ONE THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT RIGHT?

EVER GIVE a GIFT & REALIZE IT WASN’T RIGHT?

OR BECAUSE of HOW a GIFT WAS RECEIVED,, YOU REGRETTED GIVING?

OR MAYBE @ SOME POINT YOU DID SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE & BECAUSE of HOW IT WAS RECEIVED,, YOU REGRETTED DOING IT

PERHAPS THEY WEREN’T GRATEFUL,,

TOOK YOU FOR GRANTED,,

ACTED DISRESPECTFUL/ENTITLED, ETC.

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IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD to HAVE SOMETHING GO SIDEWAYS THAT WAS MEANT to BE a BLESSING.

(T) CONSIDER the CONNECTION W/ REAL REASON FOR CHRISTMAS

JESUS CHRIST — ETERNAL SON of GOD — COMES INTO the WORLD.

JESUS CHRIST DIDN’T BEGIN to EXIST @ BIRTH

INHABITED ETERNITY/CO-CREATED W/ the FATHER...

BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST = DIVINE,, ALPHA & OMEGA,, HE KNOWS END FROM the BEGINNING...

& I WANT US to CONSIDER THIS EVENING,, HOW GREAT the LOVE of OUR SAVIOR IS,, THAT HE STILL CAME...

HE KNEW ABOUT:

THE MANGER (LACK of CARE/ACCOMMODATIONS)

ABOUT 30 YEARS of OBSCURITY/VANITY B4 MINISTRY

HIS REJECTION BY MANY,, ESP. RELIGIOUS PEOPLE...

ABOUT the VARIOUS THREATS on HIS LIFE

JUDAS’ BETRAYAL

PILATE’S SENTENCE

CALVARY

HE KNEW the REJECTION, PAIN,, TRIALS...

>>> & HE CAME ANYWAY. <<<

THERE’S NO GREATER LOVE.

CHRIST LEFT HEAVEN BEHIND,, KNOWING ALL of THIS...

HE LEFT a PLACE:

WITHOUT SIN

WITHOUT HARDSHIP

THAT is PERFECT

PERFECT & CONTINUAL WORSHIP

NO MATTER HOW GREAT HIS LIFE WOULD’VE BEEN ON EARTH,, THE SACRIFICE WOULD HAVE BEEN BEYOND COMPARE....

THE GREATEST EARTHLY KINGDOM WOULDN’T HAVE COMPARED.

&& HE DIDN’T COME to LIVE in A PALACE...

***BUT as A BABY in A MANGER....

ULTIMATELY to DIE.

>>> THIS, IS LOVE <<<

(T) LOOK W/ ME @ PHILIPPIANS 2 WHERE the APOSTLE PAUL UNPACKS THE TRUTH of CHRIST’S HUMILIATION...

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MAIN TEXT: Philippians 2:5–11 (ESV)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

CONTEXT: PAUL = TEACHING ABOUT CHURCH LIFE… PICTURE of CHURCH...

LIVING W/ HUMILITY,, SELFLESSLY SERVING OTHERS,,

LAYING DOWN PERSONAL INTERESTS...

ALL in LIGHT of CHRIST’S HUMILITY (INCARNATION)

CHRIST = OUR EXAMPLE:

PERFECT HUMILITY

PERFECT LOVE

PERFECT OBEDIENCE to FATHER.

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PAUL BEGINS W/ DEITY of CHRIST...

FORM of GOD,, YET, NOT HOLDING ONTO DIVINITY FOR ADVANTAGE...

**HE TOOK on FORM of MAN...

NOT ONLY THIS:

HE TOOK on FORM of SLAVE/SERVANT

*** MOST HUMBLE BEGINNING: NO PLACE to LIE HIS HEAD.

PARENT WANTING BEST FOR CHILDREN...

CAN’T IMAGINE…PUTTING MY CHILD INTO MANGER W/ HAY.

I WANT the BEST FOR MY KIDS...

JESUS CAME & DIDN’T EVEN HAVE a BED LIKE MOST HUMAN BABIES…

**NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT HAVE MODERN FACILITIES/BENEFITS/MEDICAL HELP.....

BUT THEY DIDN’T EVEN HAVE WHAT WAS CUSTOMARY in THAT DAY,, A PLACE to STAY....

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& HE WAS BORN to DIE:

SHADOW of CROSS WAS OVER the MANGER in BETHLEHEM

HE HUMBLY SUBMITTED HIMSELF to DEATH

&& DEATH on A CROSS....

HE DID THIS FOR YOU & FOR ME...

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Romans 5:8 (ESV)

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A FREE GIFT, WE DON’T DESERVE...

CHRIST WAS WILLING:

to SACRIFICE HEAVEN,,

to SACRIFICE HIS FORMER GLORY

&& ULTIMATELY to SACRIFICE HIMSELF...

THERE is NO GREATER LOVE...

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LYRICS, GOSPEL SONG, “IF THAT ISN’T LOVE”

He left the splendor of heaven,

knowing his destiny was the lonely hill of Golgotha,

there to lay down His life for me...

If that isn’t love, then the ocean is dry,

there are no stars in the sky,

and the sparrow can’t fly

If that isn’t love,

then heaven’s a myth,

there’s no feeling like this,

if that isn’t love...

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Gospel

CHRIST BOTH OBEYED & SUFFERED in OUR PLACE,, SO THAT WE COULD BE SAVED.

YOU CAN RECEIVE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS CREDITED to YOUR ACCOUNT as a FREE GIFT...

BELIEVE in HIS DEATH & RESURRECTION

TRUST HIM as PERSONAL SAVIOR

PROFESS HIM as LORD

YOU CAN FIND SALVATION in HIM TODAY...

**IF YOU DON’T KNOW the LORD,, WE’D LOVE to SPEAK to YOU AFTER the SERVICE...

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JESUS FIRST COMING BROUGHT ABOUT SALVATION

&& HE’S COMING BACK AGAIN,,

PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11 SPEAKS of CHRIST’S EXALTATION,,

NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME

KING of KINGS

LORD of LORDS

HE’S the ONLY WAY

&& FOR THOSE of US WHO BELIEVE,, I WANT to REVISIT PAUL’S TEACHING in THIS PASSAGE:

Homiletical Idea: Christ’s sacrifice of both heaven and Himself offers to us the most perfect example of humility that we must follow.

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App:

GRACE = FOUNDATION of N.T. OBEDIENCE...

1 John 4:19 (ESV)

19 We love because he first loved us.

CHRIST ACTED FIRST,, WE MERELY RESPOND to WHAT HE DID FOR US.

WE CAN LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US

WE CAN LIVE W/ HUMILITY & SELFLESSLY SERVE OTHERS,, BECAUSE HE DID THIS FOR US...

HE’S NEVER ASKED US to DO SOMETHING HE DIDN’T DO FIRST...

CHRIST’S PERFECT LOVE WAS PROVEN FROM the MANGER to THE GRAVE…

&& HIS LOVE TOWARDS US & HIS HUMBLE EXAMPLE = OUR GUIDELINE FOR HOW WE ARE to LIVE TOWARDS OTHERS...

Close in prayer